Before That Evening
by MrUkki98
Summary: Prologue to "That Evening" but can be read as a separate piece, thus the separate story. How Lily came back in contact with Severus. Set shortly after Harry's first birthday.


Summary: Before the events of That Evening. How Lily started contacting Severus again.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling does.

* * *

"Dumbledore, who is it?" Lily Potter asked in private after an Order meeting. "Who is this spy?"

"Lily, if you know there is no need to ask." Dumbledore replied absentmindedly. "I'm afraid Lily that the person in question doesn't want his identity revealed. That is the job of a spy." Dumbledore said as he looked at Lily in the eye.

"Is it Severus, Dumbledore?" Lily stared at Dumbledore fiercely. "Is it?" Lily asked again, this time more quietly but equally as stern to the much older man.

Dumbledore took a look at Lily, "Snape, foolish boy." Dumbledore shook his head in disapproval. "But I was more foolish indeed. I thought he'd be fine as long as he had a friend in you, Lily," Dumbledore continued. "I saw the two of you grow apart in your fifth year. Teenage hormones, Lily. It was sure to pass. I never would have imagined…" Dumbledore trailed off.

"That he'd call me a mudblood?" Lily attempted.

"Severus was too far down that path but not unredeemable as I now see. No, Lily, no, it wasn't his actions but rather yours," Dumbledore returned Lily's previous stern look at her. "Lily Evans, the kindest, most loving girl in her year. I couldn't imagine that she'd not forgive her best friend; given time." Dumbledore said quietly as though talking to himself.

"I…" Lily was speechless. Her best friend. The little boy from Spinner's End. What had she done? Those innocent black eyes that she had once loved, was she to blame for all that has happened to him? No, she had done no wrong. Severus had betrayed her trust, he no longer deserved her love. However that didn't mean she stopped caring, she worried for him even though she could no longer call him a friend.

"No, Lily it was not your fault. Severus is at fault too and myself. I should have saw it coming. I should never had made an assumption about your friendship with Severus. Nor should I have underestimated Severus's feelings towards you." Dumbledore told Lily, a slight apologetic tone to his voice.

"His feelings?" Lily was puzzled. Feelings. She had doubted that Severus had feeling after the Order had announced the list of newly recruited Death Eaters the summer they graduated.

"And yours. Friendship lies far deeper than the surface, especially one like your's and Severus's, much like the Marauders. Ties that can't be cut so easily." Dumbledore explained. "Love, Lily. Love. The most powerful magic of all. The love of a mother to her child, between lovers, between brothers and between friends." Dumbledore's voice became more serious as he spoke. "Severus and you. You have love. The both of you. Love can give some courage, protection and it seems that your love has given you both."

"My love?"

"Both the love of yourself and Severus." Dumbledore said as he walked out of the room.

* * *

That evening, Lily sat and thought as she looked at her one year old. Dumbledore never did reveal the identity of the spy. It didn't need saying. She knew all along. Love. She finally understood. Her love had given Severus the courage to betray Lord Voldemort. While his love had provided her family with protection.

James stirred in the bed and a couple of seconds later he was awake. "Lily, what are you doing?" James asked groggily as he sat up in the bed looking at the infant sleeping peacefully in the cot beside the bed.

"I think I'm going to write to Severus." Lily said in a matter of fact voice. That's it. She was going to write to Severus and rekindle their friendship. No apologies needed. No dwelling on the past. They were going to talk like two adults. No, they were not going to revert back to childhood best friends. They were simply going to talk like two adults, two acquaintances, two colleagues and that was it. That was the most she could do. Apologies and forgiveness could come later, when they were both ready. She wasn't ready to forgive and nor did she feel that Severus truly felt apologetic for his actions, just yet.

"Snivellus?" James was suddenly very awake.

"James!"

"Snape, then" James said. "Why? Why in the heaven's would you contact a Death Eater? To tell Voldemort where we are and to slaughter us all?" James argued.

"James, you know just as well as I do who the spy is. Why don't you put your schoolboy bias aside and look clearly." Lily reasoned.

James couldn't say he didn't suspect Snape. The other man had known Lily longer than he had. Two childhood best friends. However he didn't like the idea of his wife contacting a known Death Eater.

Lily took James's silence as approval. She stood up. "James, I think I might invite him over to meet Harry. Should he accept, you better no threaten to hex his socks off," Lily warned.

"Lily, you can't," James protested weakly.

* * *

The next morning at Spinner's End, a man in black opened his window to let in an unfamiliar owl. He took the letter and checked it for curses. He found two, one, a protection spell to stop the opening of the envelop by an unaddressed individual. Another unknown, although he found it to cause no harm to himself. Despite the letter being addressed to himself he removed the former curse. The other he was unable to remove but he still proceeded to open the letter having recognised the penmanship on the envelope.

 _Dear Severus,_

 _I hope this finds you well. James, Harry and I are well. Thank you. However I warn you, if you think I'd forgive you for that day for this, you better try harder. I hear this is your fault in the first place. A Death Eater, Severus? What were you thinking? I expected better of you._

 _No matters, congratulations on your appointment as Potions Master at Hogwarts. I hear you're taking the post as Head of Slytherin as well. The children are lucky to have you instead of Slughorn. Would never have imagined it as an eleven year old, my best friend, Professor at Hogwarts! At such a young age too._

 _Now, again don't be mistaken you are not forgiven. However I'd like to invite you to my home to meet Harry. My first child, yet you weren't there at the baby shower, the birth, nor his first birthday. Even Petunia has seen him. Come. Meet Harry._

 _I've attached the address written by our Secret Keeper. No worries, as you may have noticed I've charmed it. Burns to ashes if the letter is tampered with, plus other securities in place to make sure no one other than yourself receives this letter._

 _Love,_

 _Lily_

* * *

A/N To avoid any misunderstandings. Since it's not clear in the story, Lily never loved Snape romantically. When I write about how Lily loves Severus it is platonic.

Reviews much appreciated.


End file.
